Toowoomba wastewater not tested for Covid-19 according to Queensland Health

Why isn’t Toowoomba’s wastewater being tested for Covid-19, but communities like Charleville are? Queensland Health has provided an explanation for this program.

Toowoomba has not been included for wastewater testing in the State Government’s program. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Dozens of communities across Queensland are having their wastewater tested for Covid-19 — but Toowoomba isn’t one of them.

Queensland Health’s wastewater surveillance program, which is run in conjunction with the University of Queensland and the CSIRO, test and studies raw water in areas like Stanthorpe, Chareville, Warwick, Emerald and Ipswich.

But Toowoomba is absent from the list of sites, which is believed to be due to it not being near the border.

According to the Queensland Health, areas for testing are based on certain criteria.

“Locations for sample collection have been chosen to represent larger population centres, popular holiday towns and some communities close to the border with NSW,” the department’s website reads.

“More testing locations may be added to the program in the future.

“The test detects SARS-CoV-2 genetic material.

“Detections may be related to a recovered case who is still shedding but is no longer infectious, or may indicate that there is an infectious person living or visiting the area who has not yet been identified.”

It’s understood the results will add to the information gained from clinical testing.